The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Cory:

the good--He survived a full week being both Mom and Dad while I went to help my mom out after surgery. The house might not have been sparkling clean, and one or two homework assignments may have missed the refining touch of a mother's supervision, but everyone was fed and clothed when I got home. He is finishing up the season as Zachary's basketball coach where he has done a great job. He also has kicked into P90X gear once again and has been steadily losing weight and bulking up muscle. Drat..I guess that means I better get up and go to the gym now.

the bad--Cory lost a cousin in a tragic industrial accident a few weeks ago. Cory was able to drive out to Eastern Utah with his father and sister for the funeral and see many family members he hasn't talked to in years. Rest in peace Cody McMullin.

Cami:

the good--In spite of the fact that my trip to Sparks was facilitated by my mom's emergency hystorectomy, it was a pleasure to spend a quiet week with her and my dad. I was glad that my children are old enough to be left fairly easy and that my husband was at a place in his work where he could sacrifice the time to be at home with them when they got home from school. I also got to spend some memorable moments with all of my siblings except one while I was staying in Nevada. I LOVE my brothers and sisters! It has taken the better part of a week and a half to get my Utah life back in order, but spending the time away has helped me better prioritize my home life and to appreciate my own dear little family.

the bad--My mom's surgery led to the discovery of uterine cancer. However, last week she got the good news that there was not cancer in the lymph nodes which means she will not have to have chemotherapy or radiation and has a very slim chance of any recurrence.

Zachary:

the good--He made it to the Countdown Round of the Chapter Math Counts competition and will most likely be moving on to state. He'll find out for sure at the end of the month. He was called as the Deacons Quorum President and is showing tremendous responsibility in this new calling. It is great to see him take this duty so seriously.

the bad--Between my distraction with my trip and an exceptionally busy holiday season, Zachary found his grades in a few classes crash and burn in the last quarter. Hopefully, this is a chance to learn from mistakes and recommit to finding better organizational strategies.

Noah:

the good--He continues to be a self-motivated, commited student, piano player, and basketball player. We have seen him really shine on his basketball team this season and finally find the competitive drive that lives up to his height and natural athletic ability. He has been working harder than any of the boys on preparing for their March piano assessment and his talent is blossoming.

the bad--Noah procrastinated his Science Fair project until I got back from my trip and discovered we only had a couple of days to pull it all together. After a stressful race to the finish, he pulled it off and got it up and displayed. Then of course, I totally blew it and forgot to go to the school for the actual presentation. The day after all of this stress, Noah casually mentioned to me that the Science Fair was a completely optional assignment!

Isaac:

the good--Isaac has finally found the books that have turned him into a hungry reader! He discovered that he really likes Fablehaven and it is great to see him reading for the pure joy of it for the first time. He also was excited to drive down to St. George with me, Noah, and Isaac to see his cousin Emily get baptized. Cory and Zachary couldn't join us because it was the same day as Zachary's math competition.

the bad--The night before the baptism while staying in St. George, Isaac started throwing up..so we managed to expose 5 different families to a stomach virus.

Anna:

the good--Our little budding artist won in her division for the school Art Express competition. She also independently wrote special Valentine's notes to every member of the family. They were so thoughtful and sweet...she truly is my best example of being kind and loving.

the bad--Anna loves reading and we have recently discovered that she has been staying up a little too late at night to finish books. This has meant a few cranky, hard-to-get-out-of bed mornings.

And now for the ugly...